The Global Property Guide asked:


 

Weighed down by the credit crunch and high inflation, the global house price boom has ended, according to the latest Global Property Guide survey of house price indicators.

 

Only 13 countries in which dwelling price indices are regularly published saw prices rise during the year to end Q1 2008, while 21 countries saw dwelling prices fall in real terms, i.e., after adjusting for inflation.

 

In most countries where house prices are not falling, they are clearly losing momentum.

 

The biggest house price fall was in Latvia (Riga), down -38.2% by May 2008 from a year earlier, after adjusting for inflation.

 

US prices also fell during the year to end of Q1, by anything from -4.2% to

-18.1%, after inflation, depending on which index is used.

 

In Europe, significant real house price falls took place during the year to end-Q1 2008 in Ireland (- 13.2%), Luxembourg (-5.8%), Portugal (-4.3%) and Malta (-4.9%).

 

UK house prices were only slightly down at end-Q1 from a year earlier, the house price crash having begun in earnest in early 2008. House prices fell during the first quarter by between – 0.7% to -2.1% (inflation-adjusted), depending on the index used.

 

In Japan, the housing market is now losing momentum once again. The urban land price index for 6 major cities was up only 4.1% year-on-year (y-o-y) to H1 2008 in nominal terms (2.9% after inflation), down from 7.8% over the same period in 2007 (7.9% after inflation). The national index for Japan fell by 0.7% y-o-y to H1 2008 (-1.9% after inflation).

 

Inflation woes

In nominal terms, 28 countries saw their housing prices rise during the year to end-Q1 2008, while only 6 saw prices fall.

 

However when property prices are adjusted for inflation, the picture looks entirely different. Skyrocketing oil, food and commodity prices have pushed inflation up around the world.

 

In Ukraine for instance, nominal house price growth was sharply down from 79.5% in the year to Q1 2007, to 18.2% in the year to Q1 2008. But when adjusted for inflation, property prices actually fell by -6.4% y-o-y.

 

In real terms, property prices fell y-o-y to end-Q1 2008 in Norway, Spain, Greece, South Korea, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa, Israel, Estonia and Lithuania, despite nominal price rises in all these countries.

 

House-price booms elsewhere

On the other hand, strong house prices increases were observed in a handful of emerging economies. Ahead of the pack was China (Shanghai), with an enormous 40.5% nominal house price surge during the year to the end of Q1 2008.

 

Other countries with impressive nominal house price increases y-o-y to end-Q1 2008 were Bulgaria (31.6% y-o-y), Hong Kong (31.1% y-o-y), and Singapore (29.8% y-o-y). Strong house price gains also took place in Cyprus, Australia and Taiwan.

 

Again, when adjusted for inflation, many of these price rises look much less impressive. The world’s top-performing housing market (after inflation) was not China or Hong Kong or Singapore, but Slovakia, where real house prices rose by 29.3%.

 

 

Causes of the downturn

There were arguably three main factors behind the end of the housing boom:

 

· After a very long boom, house prices had become stretched in many countries. The main indicator of this is the price/rent ratio, which compares the relationship between the buying price of a dwelling, with its rental price.

 

As the boom progressed, buying prices become high (in relation to rents and financing costs) in many countries, leading to decisions by some buyers to rent instead of buying. Mortgage-holders also came under extreme pressure as interest rates rose. A key lesson is the critical importance of monitoring price/rent ratios, to ensure that house prices valuations stay within reasonable limits. (Declaration of interest: The Global Property Guide produces comprehensive price/rent ratio estimates, globally).

 

· Inflationary pressures forced central banks to raise interest rates. This particularly impacted European countries where mortgage loans were primarily made on variable interest rate terms. Countries with heavily indebted households are also vulnerable when interest rates increase.

 

In developing countries, the overall economy (which strongly sways the mood of the housing market) is sometimes very sensitive to interest rate changes or to direct intervention by the monetary authorities. In some countries, mere threats of interest rate hikes are enough to shake the stock market and scare away foreign investors. But conversely, developing countries typically have smaller mortgage markets, reducing the impact on housing markets.

 

· Unsound regulatory and banking practices in the US and elsewhere led to over-lending by mortgage providers which, when these unsound loans began to go bad, caused a financial crisis. The bad news spread both by a panic contagion effect, and because many banks outside the US turned out to be more exposed than initially expected.

 



Prospects

Inflation remains an extremely challenging problem for the world’s central banks. In addition, the financial shocks to the world’s banking systems resulting from house price falls remain to be worked through (historically, most banking system collapses around the world have been caused by falling house prices).

 

Until these financial systems feel more confident that their problems are behind them, loan volumes are likely to fall. Therefore, it seems likely that the world’s house price momentum will continue to go down.

 

 

 

Description:

The Global Property Guide is an on-line property research house.

 

Terms of Use:

On-line newspapers, magazines, sites, etc wishing to use material from this press release MUST provide a clickable link to www.globalpropertyguide.com Sites and newspapers found not to be providing a link to us will be removed from our press list.



Requests for Comments:

Requests for comments are best made by telephone to +(63) 917 321 7073. UK-based callers should telephone before lunchtime. Our local time is Hong Kong time, i.e., standard time + 8.00



Economics Team:

Prince Christian Cruz, Senior Economist

Phone: (+632) 750 0560

Cell: (+63) 917 735 2228

Email: prince@globalpropertyguide.com



Publisher and Strategist:

Matthew Montagu-Pollock Phone: (+632) 867 4220 Cell: (+63) 917 321 7073

Email: editor@globalpropertyguide.com



 



Website content

Goa property asked:


ou planning on Buying property in Goa??  Then we at Magic Masons feel that congratulations are in order, as, in light of the golbal financial melt down there is no better time to purchase property in Goa than right now.

http://www.magicmasons.com

 For your conveninence we have provided you with all the information you would require to purchase your property with the least amount of stress. “Forewarned is Forearmed”  right?  

We have cateogerized them as follows: 

Reserve Bank of India Rules for Non-Residents Home Finance for NRIs & PIOs Buying Process Typical Payment Schedule for Off-Plan Property Purchase Magic Masons Charges

Further:

 we periodically update/ add, fresh, relevant yet vital information for your benifit. Including how to go about choosing the right representation, i.e. Real estae agency, Legal Counsel, etc. And how to avoid clandestine agencies or operators from turning your dream into a night mare. 

 

Rules Governing Property Purchase in Goa by Non-Residents Rules pertaining to purchase and ownership of immovable property in India are governed by the Reserve Bank of India. A summary of the current prevailing laws are enumerated below. to view full details on Reserve Bank of India’s official website. Rules for NRIs (Non Resident Indians) and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin):

 ·    An NRI is defined as a person residing outside India who is a citizen of India.

A PIO is defined as a person who has at any time held an Indian passport, or whose father or grandfather has been a citizen of India. NRIs & PIOs are permitted to purchase any number of residential/commercial properties in India. No special permission or filing of documents is required with the RBI. Under the general RBI permission available to NRIs & PIOs, funds must be remitted to India through normal banking channel or funds held in his NRE / FCNR (B) / NRO account. No consideration should be paid outside India. The NRI / PIO may repatriate the sale proceeds of immovable property in India acquired by way of inward remittance through normal banking channels or by debit to NRE /FCNR (B) account. The amount to be repatriated should not exceed the amount paid for acquisition of the immovable property. Repatriation of sale proceeds of residential property purchased by NRI / PIO out of foreign exchange is restricted to not more than two such properties. Capital gains, if any, may be credited to the NRO account from where the NRI/PIO may repatriate an amount up to USD one million per financial year subject to tax compliance. (Please refer the RBI Website for full details) 

Rules for Foreign Nationals of Non-Indian Origin: 

Foreign Nationals are permitted to lease property in India for a period of up to 5 years without the need for any special permission from the Reserve Bank of India. Foreign companies who have been permitted to open an office in India are also allowed to acquire any immovable property in India, which is necessary for or incidental to carrying on such activity. This stipulation is not available to entities which are permitted to open liaison offices in India. Though RBI rules allow a foreign national who is a Resident of India (i.e. one who has completed more than 182 days stay in India in the previous financial year) to buy property, the rule also states that “… the person concerned would have to obtain the approvals, and fulfill the requirements if any, prescribed by other authorities, such as the concerned State Government”. (Please Note: We DO NOT advise foreign nationals to attempt to purchase property in Goa via this route at the moment.) (Please refer the RBI Website for full details) 

Home Finance for NRIs & PIOs All major banks in India provide Home Finance for NRIs and PIOs. Check the details below for an overview of home financing options available from ICICI Bank. Majority of properties on Magic Masons Marketing Services are already pre-approved for Home Loans by reputed banks.

 Purpose of Loan: Loans are offered for purchase, construction, extension or renovation of a new house or apartment. 

Tenure of Loan: 

For Salaried persons – Up to 15 yrs. For Self-employed persons – Up to 10 yrs.

 Maximum Loan Eligibility: 85% of the total cost of the property 

Documents Required: Click here if you reside in the USA

Click here if you reside in UK

Click here if you reside in UAE

Click here if you reside in Other Countries 

Tools: Loan Amount Eligibility Calculator 

EMI Calculator (Floating Rate)

EMI Calculator (Fixed Rate) 

Buying Process Once you decide to buy a particular property, the following typical process is recommended. However, please note that this process may differ slightly from Developer to Developer, depending on the property selected. 

On receipt of your enquiry we will check back with the owners/developers to re-confirm availability of the property and revert to you.

 

Though the properties on our site are of reputed owners/developers, purely as a matter of ‘Due Diligence’ we recommend that a legal scrutiny be done by a local Goa lawyer appointed by you. (Magic Masons provides complete assistance for this, making it hassle free for you. See MM Services. In cases where the project has already been legally checked and pre-approved by Banks, this step is optional.

 

Once the Lawyer completes the scrutiny (usually a period of 4-5 days) and gives his approval, you decide whether you/your representative wants to make a site visit/meet the owner/developer. If so, Magic Masons makes all the arrangements for this. (If you are not visiting personally but sending a representative, you need to give us a letter of authorization for your representative).

 

Once you decide to purchase the property a Booking/Token Amount is to be paid by you to the Seller/Developer to confirm your intent to buy the property. An official receipt for the same is issued to you by the Seller/Developer as acknowledgment of your payment and that the property has been reserved for you.

  

Magic Masons Sourcing & Coordination Fees of 2% + Govt. Service Tax is also to be paid by you at this time.

 

The next step is to sign the ‘Agreement of Sale’ (for properties under construction). If a property is ready for possession, this is not required and one can directly sign the final ‘Sale Deed’ against payment of the balance amount due for purchase of the property. Sale Deeds must be registered with the Registrars office.

 

At the time of signing the ‘Agreement of Sale’ most Developers require you to pay up the value of all installments that as per their Payment Schedule (linked to progress of construction) fell due for payment up to the current stage of completion of construction. Once signed, the ‘Agreement of Sale’ should to be registered with the concerned authorities. Subsequent payments are to be made in installments as per the developer’s payment schedule for the remaining part of the construction. The ‘Sale Deed’ is signed once construction is completed and you can take possession of your property.

 

Stamp Duty & Registration charges for properties in Goa is currently at 4%. Usually 50% of this is paid at time of signing the ‘Agreement of Sale’ and the balance at the time of signing the ‘Sale Deed’.

 

It is best to be personally present in Goa for signing the ‘Agreement of Sale’ and ‘Sale Deed’ and registration of these legal documents. However if this is absolutely not Possible, you may appoint a ‘Power of Attorney’ to sign and register the documents on your behalf.

 Typical Payment Schedule (for Under-Construction Properties) Following is the typical schedule of payment asked for by developers in Goa for properties under construction. This is only a representative sample and details may vary from developer to developer and type of property. Typical Schedule of Payment: 

40% – Down Payment to sign ‘Agreement of Sale’. For completion of plinth and work up to 1st slab level. 20% – For completion of 1st slab, and advance for primary masonry and 2nd slab work. 20% – On completion of 2nd slab and masonry, and advance for plastering, wiring, plumbing. 15% – On completion of plastering, wiring, plumbing, and advance for tiling and finishing. 5% -   On Final completion and signing of ‘Sale Deed’.

 Stamp Duty & Registration Charges: Government Stamp Duty and Registration Charges are payable on all property transactions and these are borne by the Buyer. The prevailing rate for Stamp Duty and Registration Fee for purchase of properties in Goa is 4% of the property value.

 





Caffeinated Content for WordPress

Real Estate Advisor asked:


Real estate investment is perhaps one of the most lucrative forms of investment today. But it is also equally risk bound especially when one is not well versed with the trends and nuances of the real estate market. So if you are contemplating on investing in real estate, it is best to avoid costly mistakes in real estate investment especially when you invest your hard earned money into it. Knowing the most common mistakes made by real estate investors helps one steer away from making such mistakes in the future and ensures good return on investment.

Here are the top ten mistakes made by real estate investors, according to bankrate.com. Bankrate has put together the top ten mistakes after speaking to established, full-time real estate investors and other professionals involved in real estate investment such as bankers. Read on to know them and avoid them.

1. Not planning up ahead. Lack of a proper plan is the biggest mistake made by novice investors. Finding a house after forming a proper investment strategy is the right way instead of looking for a house to fit the plan. Many make the mistake of buying a house because it seems to be a good deal and then trying to see how they can fit it into their plan. Instead of buying a house and thinking one can plan in due course, investors should rather concentrate on the numbers and try to make offers on multiple properties. This will ensure a good property that not only matches their investment model but also works out well with the numbers they had planned for.

2. To believe you can make money quickly. The second major mistake that real estate investors make is to think it is very easy to get rich in real estate. This is only a myth and the reality is that investing in real estate is a long term project.

3. Doing it single-handedly. For becoming a successful real estate investor one needs to build a team of professionals who would assist the investor in his deals. This would ideally include a real estate agent, an appraiser, a home inspector, a closing attorney and a lender.

4. Making excess payment. One another reason that investors in real estate goof up in their investment is by paying too much for the properties they buy. Paying too much and locking up all the funds in the erred property deal will leave you with no money to redeem yourself.

5. Leaving out the groundwork. Not doing your homework could be a costly mistake if you were a real estate investor. Every field of business needs sufficient amount of homework to be done, and real estate investment is no exception. Learn the fundamentals and then venture into investing in properties.

6. Throwing caution to the winds. Investors have to exercise a certain degree of caution and take earnest efforts while making a deal. New investors often fail in this regard and sign a deal without doing adequate research on the property.

7. Miscalculating money flow. Investors whose strategy is to buy, hold and rent out properties need to ensure sufficient cash flow for maintenance. Property managers could be expensive and the owner has to incur more expenses such as mortgage, taxes, insurance, advertising costs etc. Investors have to allocate their budget such that all these expenses are taken care of, or end up having their asset turn into a liability.

8. Lowering the volume. A larger volume of deals or transactions helps in increasing the profits by reducing the impacts of marginal deals.

9. Getting trapped in your own deal. Having more number of options at hand for the property you buy is a wise strategy. This helps one to be prepared for fluctuations in the real estate market. Plans to rent out the house could go awry when the rental market slumps. Having alternative plans helps you cut down losses and tackle unexpected situations.

10. Making incorrect estimates. People who plan to rehab their house need to check if they will still reap the benefits at double the time that they had estimated. This ensures they do not miscalculate and lose money on the deal.



Caffeinated Content